Anthony Barboza moved to New York City in 1963 at the age of 19 to pursue a career in photography. He briefly attended the New York Institute of Photography but found his true education through his involvement with the Kamoinge Workshop, to which he was introduced by Adger Cowans. Barboza described the group as “his college,” where he learned about not just photography but also literature, art, and life itself. The Kamoinge Workshop fostered a community focused on addressing issues of representation and the role of Black photographers in depicting Black life.

Barboza’s career flourished in the 1970s when he worked with renowned fashion photographer Hugh Bell and contributed commercial photographs to Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Life, Essence, and Esquire. He served on the editorial team of the Black Photographers Annual, a publication committed to countering negative portrayals of Black people. His work was featured in the landmark 1978 Museum of Modern Art exhibition Mirrors and Windows: American Photography since 1960, in which he and Roy DeCarava were the only two Black photographers.